Key Takeaways
- The Turing Test, a measure of a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human, is being challenged by advances in artificial intelligence.
- Creative writing is being impacted by AI, with large language models (LLMs) able to generate text that resembles passable literary product, but lacks the originality and emotional depth of human writing.
- The arts are struggling to keep pace with the rapid advancements in AI, with many writers and artists feeling threatened by the potential for machines to replace them.
- However, the article argues that true creativity and originality are uniquely human traits that cannot be replicated by machines, and that the value of art lies in its ability to convey human experience and emotion.
- The article proposes a new way of writing and reading, called the Universal Turing Machine, which encourages writers to share their memories and experiences in a collaborative online platform, highlighting the importance of human connection and subjective experience in art.
Introduction to the Turing Test
The Turing Test, proposed by Alan Turing in 1950, is a measure of a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. The test involves a human evaluator engaging in natural language conversations with both a human and a machine, without knowing which is which, and then determining which one is the human. As Turing wrote, "the question, ‘Can machines think?’ is too meaningless to deserve discussion." Instead, he proposed a more practical approach, which he called the "imitation game." The game involves a guesser who poses questions to a man and a woman, who are out of sight and hearing, and tries to determine which one is the man and which one is the woman.
The Imitation Game
In the imitation game, the first question posed by Turing is "Will X please tell me the length of his or her hair?" followed by "Please write me a sonnet on the subject of the Forth Bridge." These questions are designed to test the machine’s ability to think and create like a human. However, as the article notes, "Turing isn’t suggesting that a machine can’t write poetry. In the convoluted logic of the imitation game, X calculates that in 1950 ordinary people didn’t write poetry, a commonsense assumption that every computer masquerading as human should know." This highlights the challenges of designing a test that can truly evaluate a machine’s creative abilities.
The Limitations of AI
The article argues that while AI can generate text that resembles passable literary product, it lacks the originality and emotional depth of human writing. As Sir Philip Sidney wrote in his "Defence of Poesie", "good writing could both teach and delight. It provided a guide to living well in a more accessible form than theology or history or philosophy." The article notes that "the mysterious magic ingredient has been debated in English on the printed page since at least 1580" and that "no one has yet been able to break down the findings of English literature departments – what makes literature work – into sufficient granular detail to reformulate as instructions actionable by an LLM."
The Importance of Human Creativity
The article highlights the importance of human creativity and originality in art, citing examples such as the work of Toni Morrison and the French experimental writer Georges Perec. As the article notes, "art that only pretends to be original won’t get us anywhere very interesting." The article also quotes Ada Lovelace, who wrote that "the Analytical Engine has no pretensions whatever to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform." This emphasizes the limitations of machines in creating truly original work.
Defying AI Creep
The article proposes a new way of writing and reading, called the Universal Turing Machine, which encourages writers to share their memories and experiences in a collaborative online platform. This project is designed to highlight the importance of human connection and subjective experience in art, and to provide a space for writers to explore new ways of thinking and creating. As the article notes, "the communication between writer and reader, artist and audience, is the nearest we come to telepathy: to transmitting and receiving information between minds." The Universal Turing Machine is an attempt to recreate this experience in a digital format, and to provide a platform for writers to share their unique perspectives and experiences.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the article argues that while AI is making significant advancements in creative writing, it is still limited by its inability to truly understand human experience and emotion. The value of art lies in its ability to convey the complexities and nuances of human existence, and to provide a space for writers and artists to explore new ways of thinking and creating. As Turing himself wrote, "the statistical evidence, at least for telepathy, is overwhelming", highlighting the importance of human connection and subjective experience in art. The Universal Turing Machine is an attempt to recreate this experience in a digital format, and to provide a platform for writers to share their unique perspectives and experiences.
https://aeon.co/essays/sure-ai-can-do-writing-but-memoir-not-so-much